Dispenser for carbonated beverages



1956 w. K. BEUTEL DISPENSER FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGES Filed Dec. 1, 1955IN V EN TOR. WERA/E/P K- 3 -'-'d/7'L BY gm 5 7/ZM ATTORNEY United StatesPatent DISPENSER FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGES Werner K. Beutel, Rocky Hill,Conn.

Application December 1, 1953, Serial No. 395L368 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-494)This invention relates to a beverage dispenser and, more specifically,to improvements in a dispenser for carbonated bottled beverages.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a simple andfoolproof dispenser which can be used to advantage in dispensingcarbonated bottled beverages and which incorporates means for tightlysealing the bottle so as to prevent the escape of the liquid and gaseouscontents thereof during periods of non-use and which will therebypreserve the quality and palatability of the beverage.

Other more specific objects of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description of the annexed drawing which, by way ofpreferredexample only, illustrates one specific embodiment of theinvention and in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dispensing device, thedevice being shown in closed condition; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 wherein parts are shown in elevationand wherein the parts are shown in the positions they assume whiledispensing.

It is widely recognized that in the intermittent use of a carbonatedbottled beverage, one faces the likelihood that the last used portionsof the beverage will lack quality and palatability by reason of theescape of the entrained gases. Immediately after a bottle has beenopened, the entrained gases will start to escape. While there have beena wide variety of stoppers or caps provided to close and seal the bottleafter it has been originally uncapped and while such stoppers or capshave been highly developed and skillfully designed, the loss problem hasnot been completely solved because in removing such stoppers or caps forsubsequent use or dispensing of the beverage, additional gases escapethe bottle.

In accordance with my invention, I utilize one such highly successfulcap in the construction of a dispenser which permits the user tointermittently dispense the beverage without removing the cap andwithout permitting free and unwarranted escape of gas.

More specifically, 1 provide a siphon type dispensing device indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral which is associated with a bottleclosing cap 12 which has been found highly successful in sealing theopening in a conventional beverage bottle such as shown in brokenoutline by the reference numeral 14. Only the neck portion and bottom ofthe beverage bottle are shown, since only those portions are necessaryto describe the manner in which the cap 12 is closed on the bottleopening and to fully describe the utility of the dispenser. The cap 12is of a Well known type and has been shown in the U. S. Patent to Butts,No. 1,733,645 wherein it is explained that the cap is provided with aplurality of fingers 15, 15 which extend downwardly and which have theirlower end portions rolled upwardly to support a split wire ring 16'which is closed or opened by a wire operating lever 17. Morespecifically, the ring 16 is passed through the rolled bottom edgeportions of the fingers 15 with the free ends of the split ring beingengaged by the lever 17 which has a hook portion 17a looped over hooks16a formed on the free end portions of the wire 16. When the lever 17 ispositioned as shown'in the drawing, the hooks 17a cams the ring hooks16a together and thus tightens the fingers 15, 15 around the neck of thebottle 14. When the fingers are tightened in this manner, an annularseal 18 is compressed over the top of the bottle within the body portionof the cap 12 so as to seal the opening in the bottle. When the lever 17is shifted upwardly, the hooks 17a and 16a are only loosely engaged sothat the fingers do not grip the neck of the bottle and so that the capcan be removed from the bottle.

As shown in Fig. l, the cap 12 has an annular inturned flange 19defining a central opening through which a tube 20 extends. As will beshown in greater detail hereinafter, the tube 20 forms an important partof the dispenser 10 and is extended through the cap 12 with its majorportion depending from the cap so as to extend to a point adjacent thebottom of the bottle and the tube 20 also projects a relatively shortdistance above the cap. In accordance with the present invention, thecap 12 is secured to the tube 20 in a liquidtight airtight manner, as bywelding or the like, so that no gas or liquid can escape from the bottlealong the tube 20.

It is important to note that a bushing 21 is tightly fitted into the topend of the tube 20 and that a generally similar bushing 22 is tightlyfitted into the bottom end of the tube 20. The bushings 21 and 22 areadapted to slidably support an inner tube 23 in spaced substantiallyconcentric relationship to the outer tube 20. As will be explained ingreater detail hereinafter, the inner tube 23 accommodates all of thefluid flow and will, therefore, be referred to as the flow tube. It isalso important to 'note that the flow tube23 is considerably longer thanthe outer tube 20 and projects a substantial distance above the topbushing 21 and a lesser distance below the bottom bushing 22.

The upwardly projecting portion of the flow tube 23 extends into agenerally cylindrical head member 24 which is closed at the top andwhich has a central longitudinally extending bore 25 in communicationwith the open top end of the flow tube. The head 24 also receives a flownozzle 26 which is in communication with the bore 25 and which issecured to the head as by welding or the like so as to extend radiallyand downwardly therefrom. The head and flow tube are secured together inany conventional fashion as, for example, by press fitting the flow tubewithin the bore so that the top edge of the flow tube will engage ashoulder 27 defined therewithin or, in the alternative, the top end ofthe fiow tube may be threaded within the head.

An enlarged recess or well 28 is provided in the bottom of the head 24to accommodate a coil spring 29 therewithin which can be disposedbetween top and bottom seat members 30 and 31 which slidably embrace theflow tube. The bottom seat member 31 engages an annular seal 32 whichrests upon the bushing 21 in the top end of the outer tube 24). Thus, itwill be seen that the head 24 may be pressed downwardly against thespring 29 to extend the flow tube a greater distance into the bottle 14.The movement of the head and flow tube is limited by the spring seatmembers 30 and 31 which have opposed sleeves 33 and 34 which will engageand stop downward movement of the head and flow tube in the positionshown in Fig. 2. Obviously, when the head is pressed downwardly, thebottom portion of the flow tube will be extended beyond the bottombushing 22.

In further accord with the present invention, the projecting bottom endportion of the flow tube 23 is closed by a cylindrical plug 35 tightlyseated within the flow tube. A generally cup shaped member 36 is alsosupported on the bottom end portion of the flow tube as by a pin 37which extends through the cup 36, the flow tube 23, and the plug 35. Theopen top end of the cup shaped member 36 is in spaced generallyconcentric relationship to the 'fiow tube 23 and is adapted to receiveand seat a rubber or rubber-like seal member 38. More specifically, theseal 38 is provided with a shoulder 39 which is seated on the top edgeof the cup member 36 and is also provided with a downwardly extendingportion 40 which embraces the flow tube within the opening in the cupshaped member. The top face 41 of the seal member engages the bottomface of the lowermost bushing 22 to provide a seal around the flow tube.

Flow from the bottle into the flow tube 23 is accommodated through apair of elongated openings 42, 42 which are provided in diametricallyopposed relationship in the flow tube in that portion thereof which isnormally embraced by the lowermost bushing 22. Accordingly, the flowopenings 42 are provided with a double seal, namely, the bushing 22 andthe rubber seal member 38. The openings 42, 42 are exposed when the head24 is depressed whereby the seal 38 is thrust downwardly and the tubeopenings 42, 42 are extended beneath the bushing 22.

It is believed that a detailed description of the operation will beunnecessary in view of the foregoing description of the device. It willbe readily understood that the elements associated with the bottom endof the flow tube constitute a valve which is doubly sealed in the closedposition when the device is not being operated. The spring 29 in thehead automatically closes the valve during periods of inoperation. Toopen the valve to dispense the liquid contents of the bottle, the headis pressed downwardly against the spring. It is quite apparent that inoperating the dispensing device the cap does not have to be opened sothat the bottle will remain sealed. It is also quite apparent that theliquid and gases within the bottle have no avenue of escape duringnon-use. It is quite important to note that during periods of use thegases in the bottle, which are not entrained in the beverage, cannotfreely escape. The only avenue of escape during operation is through theports 42, 42 in the flow tube and such ports are opened adjacent thebottom of the bottle so as to be within the body of the beverage. Afterthe beverage contents have been dispensed to a point where the liquidlevel is near the bottom of the outer tube 20, the cap and dispensingdevice can be removed from the bottle and the remaining portion of thecontents can be poured freely from the bottle.

Thus, it will be seen that with the above described dispensing device abottled, .carbonated beverage can be dispensed intermittently withoutgas leakage while the beverage is dispensed or during extended periodsof non-use. Therefore, the beverage can be preserved in a palatablestate for extended periods of time after the bottle has been initiallyopened.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to theone embodiment shown in the drawing, it is not the intent to limit thescope of the invention to the details of said embodiment otherwise thanindicated by the claims which follow.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing device for bottled carbonated beverages comprising incombination, a cap detachably secured to the top of the bottle andsealing the opening therein, an outer tube secured in air-tight sealedrelationship within said cap and projecting into the lower region of thebottle, a flow tube slidably disposed within said outer tube and havinga closed bottom end projecting below said outer tube, said flow tubealso having a transverse opening above the projecting bottom .endportion, an annular bushing disposed between the bottom end ,portionof-said' outer tube agd said flow tube to normally close .saidtransverse opening, a seal connected to the projecting bottom end ofsaid flow tube and having a 4, surface normally engaging the bottom endof said annular bushing, an operating head connected to the top portionof said flow tube above said cap and having a discharge opening incommunicatiop with said flow tube, and a spring biasing said head andsaid flow tube upwardly to normally position said transverse openingwithin said bushing and to engage said seal and the bottom end of saidannular bushing, whereby said head can be depressed to disengage saidseal and to extend said flow tube into the bottle and thereby exposesaid transverse opening below said bushing and said outer tube.

2. A dispensing device for bottled carbonated beverages comprising incombination, a cap detachably secured to the top of the bottle andsealing the opening therein, an outer tube secured in air-tight sealedrelationship within said cap with its bottom end extending into thelower region of the bottle, a flow tube slidably disposed within saidouter tube with its bottom and top end portions projecting therebeyond,said fiow tube also having a transverse opening above its projectingbottom end portion, means closing the bottom end of said flow tube, abushing disposed between the bottom end portion of said outer tube andsaid flow tube and normally closing said transverse opening, a sealsupported on the projecting bottom end portion of said flow tube havinga surface normally engaging said bushing, an operating head connected tothe upwardly projecting portion of said flow tube and having a dischargeopening in communication with said flow tube, and a spring biasing saidhead and said flow tube upwardly whereby said head can be depressed todisengage said seal and said bushing and to expose said transverseopening below the bottom end of said outer tube.

3. In a dispensing device for bottled carbonated beverages, thecombination comprising a cap detachably secured to the top of the bottleand sealing the opening therein, an outer tube secured in air-tightsealed relationship within said cap with its bottom end extending intothe lower region of the bottle and with its top end projecting above thecap, a flow tube slidably disposed within said outer tube with its topend projecting above the outer tube and having a closed bottom endprojecting below said outer tube, said flow tube also having atransverse opening above the projecting portion of its bottom end, abushing disposed between the bottom end portion of said outer tube andsaid flow tube and normally closing said transverse opening, a sealsecured to the bottom end of said fiow tube and having a surfacenormally engaging said bushing, an operating head connected to theprojecting top end of the flow tube and having a discharge opening incommunication with said flow tube, and a coil spring disposed in saidhead to exert force between said head and said outer tube whereby saidhead can be depressed to disengage said seal and said bushing and toexpose said transverse opening below said outer tube.

4. A dispensing device for bottled carbonated beverages comprising incombination, a cap having a cen tral opening detachably secured to thetop of the bottle to seal the bottle opening, an outer tube secured tosaid cap and extending through and sealed within said central openingwith its bottom end projecting into the lower region of said bottle andwith its top end projecting above said cap, top and bottom bushingsdisposed in the top and bottom ends of said outer tube, a fiow tubeextending through said outer tube with its top end projecting above saidtop bushing and with its bottom end projecting below said bottombushing, said fiow tube having a transverse opening normally closed bysaid bottom bushing, means closing the bottom end of said flow tube, aseal connected to the projecting bottom end of said flow tube and havinga surface normally engaging said bottom bushing, a generally cylindricaloperating head connected to the projecting top end of the flow tube andhaving a central longitudinal bore in communication therewith, dischargeorifice means supported by References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Ames Oct. 29, 1929 Ramsay May 23, 1939 Threm Sept.7, 1943 Martin et a1. May 1, 1951 Jarrett et a1 Oct. 7, 1952

